Poem: Radiance Sutra #26

Radiance Sutras
Translated by Lorin Roche
#26

The One Who Is at Play Everywhere says,

There is a space in the heart where everything meets.
Come here if you want to find me.
Mind, senses, soul, eternity – all are here.
Are you here?

Enter the bowl of vastness that is the heart.
Listen to the song that is always resonating.
Give yourself to it with total abandon.
Quiet ecstasy is here,
And a steady, regal sense
Of resting in in a perfect spot.
You who are the embodiment of blessing,
Once you know the way,
The nature of attention will call you to return.
Again and Again, answer that call,
And be saturated with knowing,
“I belong here, I am at home.”

This is an excerpt from one of the earliest teachings on yoga meditation called the Vignana Bhairava Tantra, which dates back to around 800 A.D. The text is actually not a compilation of poetry, although its beautiful language may seem so. It is a manual of meditation practices. Nevertheless, I include it here as a poem of the month because it has long been one of my favorite pieces of writing. It reminds me, always, that we need not search outside of ourselves for the Divine; we carry it within our hearts. Energetically, the heart represents a bridge between all that grounds us to the earth and all that reaches towards the heavens. Here, the sutra directs us to meditate on this space and return to it again and again to connect with the Source of our Being.